Why you should be spending money on improving your employee experience.
Most people go through a long period of their lives where their thoughts and decisions revolve around work. No matter what you do, or what your role is, work always finds its way into your mind on a day off, and encourages you to stay far beyond necessary.
From a business point of view, it’s behaviour like this that enables companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter to come to life. However, the continued success of companies like theirs comes from a slightly different fuel: happiness at work.
Now, let’s not be naive enough to believe unhappy employees don’t exist. Everyone has a bad day and we all make mistakes. Sometimes the job itself is just not the right fit.
But for a lot of the time, the happiness of your employees is your responsibility.
There was a time not so long ago when employers were acknowledged to have all the power in a working dynamic. It was seemingly harder for employees to speak up about their needs, as the consequences for doing so were unclear.
Then along came LinkedIn — encouraging businesses to reach out directly to the best talent and giving the employee the power to find something better.
Companies suddenly found themselves competing to offer the best deal. Employees started to speak out more openly about what they wanted out of a workplace.
This wave of openness and change brought an important lesson: the key to talent retention is to invest in employee experience within the company.
It therefore comes as no surprise to hear of studies finding that 83% of HR leaders consider employee experience to be very important to the success of their business.
So, if you want your best talent to stay loyal, you need to start addressing how they might feel about you.
Enable friendships to blossom
I’ve mentioned in a few previous blog posts about the importance of friendships at work. A study by Gallup (2017) found that close friendships at work boost employee satisfaction by 50% and people who would work with someone that they describe as a best friend at work are 7 times more likely to be fully engaged.
The job roles that your employees perform may be their ‘dream job’ but, as is in life, it always feels better when you have someone to share it with.
Bring your employees together. Let them be friends. If your overall culture is full of positivity and support, this will reflect in the work they deliver both individually and as a team. They’ll feel confident and supported enough to be innovative, and will have a community they don’t want to lose.
Invest in your people’s careers
Do you know what your employees want out of their careers?
Chances are, they want to learn, grow and get promoted.
Whilst a lot can be said for learning on the job, there’s a lot that can and should be taught.
By investing in the training and development of your employees, you’re positioning your company in the ‘industry-leading’ bracket, with a workforce who are filled with as much knowledge.
On that note, it’s also vital to listen to what your employees want and drive them in the direction of where they hope their career will go. If they don’t feel the role they’re in is right but you feel their enthusiasm helps to fuel your business, steer their future towards what they want.
Whilst you may not be able to create a role out of thin air, be mindful that your views of their purpose in the company may be different, so ask them and ensure that they feel heard.
Create a work environment for everyone
Now look at where your employees work.
A few years ago, open plan offices were all the fashion. They were believed to create camaraderie, and saved money on office costs. But, in reality, they didn’t really work.
There are countless studies out there arguing that open plan offices are less productive. They create distractions and can cause a major breakdown in communication and collaboration.
You need to give people a choice of where they work. A study by Steelcase found that this choice increased employee engagement by 80%.
Create a workspace that enables the extroverts and introverts in your team to do their best work — and mix it up with spaces for individuals and teams.
Offer tools to help their mental and physical health
I’ve said this time and time again: take responsibility for the mental and physical health of your employees. They are your best asset.
Although I do delve into more detail in my post ’10 ways to invest in the health and wellbeing of your staff’, I think now’s a good time to recap.
It’s a great idea to host regular recognition events to make your employees realise that they’re making a positive impact on your business. Nothing extravagant, just a simple “employee of the month” scheme with the reward of an extra day off or a voucher.
Ensure mindfulness programmes are available to help them clear their minds and focus on the tasks at hand. And emphasise the importance of fitness and great health at work by encouraging exercise outside of work and healthy eating.
Paul Papas, global leader of IBM Interactive Experiences, once said: “The last best experience that anyone has anywhere becomes the minimum expectation for the experiences they want everywhere.”
Make your company a place where your employees want to learn, grow and thrive. Create an environment where people want to enhance their careers. Eliminate any stressful space that feels like a burden to carry home.
Remember, your business and the people helping to drive it forwards are your responsibility. Create a positive experience for people giving their heart and soul to steer things forwards, and the return on investment will be so much more than just giving everyone a financial bonus.
Mark Cushway is the CEO of the Inspired Group of companies and is passionate about employee welfare, engagement and motivation. Connect with Mark on Twitter and LinkedIn. This blog post is also available as a podcast on iTunes and Soundcloud.
